Nike is making another major leadership move as it tries to get its growth story back on track.
The sportswear giant has hired Jane Ewing, a longtime Walmart executive, as its new chief commercial officer. Ewing will join Nike on September 7 and take charge of the company’s global marketplace organization, covering both its direct-to-consumer business and wholesale operations.
The appointment comes at an important moment for Nike. The company has been dealing with sluggish sales for an extended period, and investors are looking for clearer signs that CEO Elliott Hill’s turnaround strategy is starting to work.
A retail veteran joins Nike
Ewing brings almost 14 years of experience at Walmart, giving Nike a leader with deep experience in one of the world’s largest retail businesses.
Her most recent role was interim CEO of Sam’s Club in China, while she has also held roles at Diageo.
That background could be particularly useful for Nike as the company works to improve how its products reach customers.
Ewing will oversee Nike’s global marketplace organization and is expected to help accelerate growth across:
- Nike Direct
- Wholesale
- Global marketplace operations
- The company’s broader commercial strategy
For Nike, this is about more than simply selling more shoes and clothing. The company needs to rebuild momentum across both its own stores and digital channels while strengthening relationships with wholesale partners.
Nike is trying to change the growth formula
One of the biggest changes under Elliott Hill has been Nike’s renewed focus on individual sports.
The company is putting more attention on categories such as running, rather than relying heavily on lifestyle products.
That strategy is already showing some signs of progress.
Nike’s running business has improved, giving the company an area where it can build momentum. But the broader turnaround remains unfinished.
Two major challenges stand out:
- Converse continues to struggle
- Nike’s China business has yet to deliver a meaningful turnaround
That makes Ewing’s commercial role especially important. Nike needs stronger execution across different markets and sales channels, not just better products.
Why Walmart experience matters
Moving from Walmart to Nike may look like an unusual executive switch, but there is a clear connection.
Walmart operates at enormous scale and has spent years refining how it manages pricing, merchandising, customer demand and distribution across different markets.
Those skills matter for Nike as it tries to balance its own retail network with wholesale partners.
Nike has also been working to strengthen its relationship with retailers after years of emphasizing its direct-to-consumer strategy.
Ewing’s experience could therefore help Nike improve the commercial side of the business while the company works on its product portfolio.
The market still wants proof
Investors have been far less patient with Nike.
The company’s stock is down roughly 40% this year, while the S&P 500 has gained about 13% over the same period.
That gap shows how much confidence Nike needs to rebuild.
A new executive alone will not fix the problem. The bigger question is whether Nike can turn its strategy into sustained sales growth.
The company needs its strongest categories to keep improving, its weaker businesses to stabilize and its distribution strategy to become more effective.
Another piece of Hill’s turnaround
Elliott Hill took over as CEO with the task of bringing Nike back to growth after a prolonged period of weaker performance.
The company has already started making changes around products, sports categories and its relationship with retailers.
Now, bringing in Ewing adds another layer to that strategy.
Her job will ultimately come down to one thing: turning Nike’s products and strategy into stronger commercial results.
The opportunity is huge. Nike remains one of the world’s most recognizable sports brands.
But with the stock under pressure and several parts of the business still struggling, investors will be watching closely to see whether these leadership changes translate into actual growth.
For Nike, the next phase of the turnaround is no longer just about changing the strategy. It is about executing it.